Device for signalizing a treadmill belt misalignment

Abstract

The treadmill is of the type which comprises: a chassis; an upper structure; a front roller and a rear roller that are horizontally journalled in said chassis, and an endless belt mounted around the front roller and rear roller and presenting an upper path and a lower path. The device comprises two optical sensor assemblies, each comprising an optical emitting means, disposed above or beneath the lower path of said endless belt, and an optical receiving means, disposed in the other of said positions, said optical sensor assemblies operating between a belt aligned condition, interrupting the luminous flux from said optical emitting means to said optical receiving means, and a belt misaligned condition, in which said belt allows the optical flux between one of said optical emitting means and a respective optical receiving means which is operatively associated with a visual and/or sonorous signalizing means to activate said signalizing means upon the misalignment of the belt.

1 . A device for signalizing a treadmill belt misalignment, utilized in a treadmill of the type which comprises: an elongated chassis seated on the floor; an upper structure mounted in the front portion of the chassis, for the user to hold and control the operation; a front roller, and a rear roller which are horizontally journalled in said chassis; and an endless belt mounted around the front roller and the rear roller and presenting an upper path and a lower path, comprising:
 two optical sensor assemblies, each comprising an optical emitting means, disposed in one of the positions above or beneath the lower path of said belt, and   an optical receiving means, disposed in the other of said positions, said optical sensor assemblies operating between a belt aligned condition, in which said belt interrupts the luminous flux of said optical emitting means for the respective optical receiving means in each optical sensor assembly, and a belt misaligned condition, in which said belt allows the optical flux between one of said optical emitting means and a respective optical receiving means, said optical receiving means being operatively coupled to a visual and/or sonorous signalizing means mounted to the chassis, to activate said signalizing means upon the misalignment of the belt.   
     
     
         2 . The device, as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein each optical sensor assembly is mounted in a support attached in a corresponding longitudinal member. 
     
     
         3 . The device, as set forth in  claim 2 , wherein the support is substantially “C”-shaped, with its ends projecting towards the inside of the nominal lateral alignment of the belt, above and beneath the lower path of said belt. 
     
     
         4 . The device, as set forth in  claim 3 , wherein the optical emitting means are disposed in the lower ends of said supports, and the optical receiving means are disposed in the upper ends of said supports. 
     
     
         5 . The device, as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein each said optical emitting means comprises a printed circuit board incorporating a narrow focus led fed by electric current. 
     
     
         6 . The device, as set forth in any one of  claim 1 , wherein each optical receiving means comprises an optical fiber, having an end turned to the led of the corresponding optical emitting means ( 41 ), the other end of said optical fiber being coupled to the signalizing means. 
     
     
         7 . The device, as set forth in  claim 6 , wherein the signalizing means is a display mounted to the chassis. 
     
     
         8 . The device, as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein the optical receiving means comprises a phototransistor aligned with the led in a such way that in the belt misaligned condition, it receives luminous signals from said led, said phototransistor activating a signalizing led attached to one of the parts of chassis and upper structure, in a place of easy visualization. 
     
     
         9 . The device, as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein the optical receiving means comprises: an optical fiber having an end turned to the led of the corresponding optical emitting means and another end coupled to a respective signalizing means; and a phototransistor disposed toward the inside of the adjacent end of the optical fiber and aligned with the led in a such way that, in a belt condition presenting a greater misalignment than the one necessary to release the luminous flux of the adjacent led to the respective optical fiber, said phototransistor receives luminous signals from said led, activating a sound alarm, or displaying a message in the control panel.